With every new brush stroke, the words “Okefenokee Swamp”
began to appear on the wall, their navy lettering contrasted against the light
blue background Hubbard had painted.

Instead of spending her summer months away from school as
other educators may be eager to do, the Forsyth County art teacher has
frequented her home school’s media room and the halls of Cumming Elementary the
last several months, working on “summer surprises” for county students.

“Last year, I painted the bathrooms in [Chestatee] and
the kids loved it,” she said. “There have been lots of art surprises for the
students, and the Media Center is this year’s surprise.”

Hubbard, who has taught art at several Forsyth County
schools for 22 years, said this year’s project came about thanks to an idea
Chestatee’s media specialist, Sarah Wiggins, had for the room.

“She wanted it to be areas of Georgia, so I thought to
draw various symbols on the walls,” she said. “Symbols are going to imprint
[Georgia] history in the students’ minds, but it was Sarah’s vision of adding
the top regions in the state to the media center.

“I worked through the month
of June, but it’s not finished yet – more will be added to mural. The kids are
actually going to be a part of the next stage; I’ll have them write submissions
of things in Georgia they’d like to see added in, and this is going to give
them the opportunity to have a voice in what will come next to the mural.”

Hubbard said while she painted her first mural for FCS in
1996 at Mashburn Elementary, her love of art started much earlier.

“Since I was a small child, I’ve been creative and loved
to draw and when I was young, I would go to this woman’s house who gave art
lessons,” she said. “Once a week, I would go there and she was my inspiration
since I was a small child.

“I’ve always known I wanted to do something in art and I
love kids, so wanting to teach art has always been in me.”

In addition to painting summer murals for schools,
Hubbard said she holds an art camp that is very similar to what her childhood
mentor would do with local children.

She also does mural work in people’s homes, as well as
personalized canvases, hand painted plates and tiles “just as a way to throw
out some creativity.”

“It’s amazing all of different places she’s impacted the
community,” Wiggins said. “She has such a strong, rich history and is just
adding to her history with her artwork. As an art teacher, she’s also passing
that on to the next generation, and it’s just amazing.

“The rich art that she’s giving our community is
unmatched.”

Hubbard said her work accomplishes more than just
teaching students artistic techniques, though.

From the Georgia symbols to a U.S. history timeline she’s
been working with Chestatee’s gifted education teacher, she’s also giving
students visual history lessons.

She’s not only part of the history of our community, but she’s creating history in our community.

Sarah Wiggins, media specialist, Chestatee Elementary

Wiggins said it’s more than that, too.

“She’s not only part of the history of our community, but
she’s creating history in our community,” she said. “You can just name a family
and they’ve got her stuff hanging in their homes.

“She’s just such a part of [Forsyth County] – it’s
amazing.”

Though she has almost a decade before retirement, Hubbard
said she hopes to always continue making art.

“I’ve always had the dream to illustrate a children’s
book,” she said. “I don’t have the time now, but maybe when I retire.